Have any of you actually worked for Hostess Brands?
I did for 10+ years. I walked away and found new employment in March of this year. That was a very hard thing to do after 10+ years with a company, but it had to be done.
Now the failure of Hostess has everything to due with the management. How many companies go through 6 C.E.O.'s in the last 8 years?
Unless you actually worked for Hostess Brands, formally Interstate Brands Corporation you really don't know how bad the working conditions were. During the first bankruptcy of Hostess all of the Teamsters route sales representatives took a $5668.00 pay cut per year to help Hostess get back on there feet. We also took a major reduction in health care coverage and a major increase in our health care cost.
I went from bringing home around $450.00 a week to around $327.00 a week. I still did the same job everyday as before the concessions took place. Management took no concessions and gave themselves raises and bonuses while the company was still failing to be competitive in the marketplace.
In February of this year all Teamsters route sales representatives were informed that Hostess Brands had stopped contributing to there pension fund since October of 2011. The management gave themselves bonuses again with the stolen pension funds. A month later Hostess Brands filed for its second bankruptcy.
As I was not a bakery worker, I can't comment on what was taken away from them.(wages, insurance, pensions etc.)
I do see negativity to-wards unions on this topic. I have worked in a union for the last 15 years. What is wrong with a group of employees coming together to fairly negotiate with there employer. One seems to forget that any company who has union workers has negotiated and agreed to the terms set forth in that employees union contract. Most union contracts have a no strike clause. I have always believed if your not happy in your current job then look for something better.
I didn't think it was very responsible of the Bakery Confection Union to hold a strike. But the way Hostess just up and closed like it did showed me it no longer wanted to operate as a company.
I feel very sorry for all the employees of Hostess Brands (union and non-union) who have lost there jobs.